Many films are based on amazing books but some of them fail to meet expectations. This could be because the plot is changed too much or simply because it’s just not quite the same. However, when an adaptation is done right, it can really blow audiences away. And whose books are better to adapt into films than Stephen King’s?
Over the years, many of King’s stories have made it to the big screen. But one of his more grounded novellas has gone on to inspire a film that fans say is not just good, but possibly the best movie ever made. One person said: “There is only one thing to say about this – it’s the greatest film of all time.”
Another added: “It is a cinematic masterpiece that has stood the test of time since its release in 1994.”
A third commented: “One of the best movies that I have ever watched. I watched it for the first time over 20 years ago, and still watch it once a year.”
A fourth said: “It’s one of those movies you can watch time after time and still see different things you missed from the last time you watched the movie.”
The story they’re referring to is Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, a novella by Stephen King first published in 1982.
It follows banker Andy Dufresne, who is wrongly convicted of killing his wife and her lover, and sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary where he must endure years of corruption and violence.
The film adaptation, The Shawshank Redemption, was released in 1994 and was directed by Frank Darabont.
It starred Tim Robbins as Andy and Morgan Freeman as Red. As of November 2025, the film holds an audience score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Despite receiving seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Freeman, the film was not a hit at the box office and never won any Oscars.
It earned just $16 million during its initial run. But thanks to word of mouth, a major VHS release and regular television broadcasts, the film’s popularity soared in the years that followed.
Much of it was filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, with Darabont writing the script in just eight weeks.
The production had a budget of $25 million and went on to become one of the most rented videos of the 1990s.
In 2015, the US Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry.
Stephen King himself has called the story one of his favourites, and Morgan Freeman once said the novella is his favourite King work.
The Shawshank Redemption is available to rent or buy on Prime Video and can be streamed on NowTV.